Writing instrument for producing lines of varied width



A. CAPLAN 3,085,554

WRITING INSTRUMENT FOR PRODUCING LINES OF VARIED WIDTH April 16, 1963Filed July 28, 1961 INVENTOR.

Anhur Caplan ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,085,554 WRITING INSTRUMENTFOR PRODUCING LINES 0F VARIED WIDTH Arthur Caplan, 52 Broadway, New York4, N.Y. Filed July 28, 1961, Ser. No. 127,591 4 Claims. (Cl. 12042.2)

This invention relates to writing instruments, and more particularlyconcerns a writing device which may be manipulated to produce lines of adesired width.

Ball point pens can produce lines of but a single thickness. Individualsmay have a preference as to the thickness of line produced by a writinginstrument but such preference can only be fulfilled by selecting thepoint of such an instrument of the more conventional type.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an instrument forforming lines having a variation in width; the width of the line beingcontrolled by the user of the instrument through manipulation of theinstrument in the hand of the user.

A further object of this invention is to provide a writing instrumenthaving a movable ink applying tip of a configuration which is capable ofproducing lines of varied thickness, the tip having combined rotationaland angular movement to insure movement of the tip in any position ofthe instrument so that ink will be passed to the tip at all times.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a writinginstrument embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the writing tipthereof;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2,showing the movable writing element in one position thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, showing the writing elementin another position thereof Essentially, the writing instrument of theinstant invention comprises a barrel open at one end for receivingtherein a movable nib having a cylindrical ink receiving and inkapplying surface which is in ink receiving relation to ink feeding meanswithin the barrel. Since the writing surface of the nib is cylindrical,if the instrument is held in a manner while writing to have thelongitudinal axis of the nib coincident with the direction of movementof the instrument, then the line produced will be of minimal thickness.

Hovever, if the instrument is held in a manner to locate thelongitudinal axis of the nib at an angle to the direction of movement ofthe instrument, then the width or thickness of the line produced will bevaried and increased up to a maximum equal to the length of thecylindrical Writing surface.

Referring in detail to the drawing, designates a writing instrumentembodying the invention. The same comprises a tubular holder 11 with arectangular bore 12 for receiving therein a barrel member 13. Barrelmember 13 holds a supply of ink 14 such as normally used in ball pointpens, which is fed to the lower end of member 13 by way of a passage 15.

The lower end portions of holder 11 and member 13 have a slightcorresponding taper to locate member 13 relative to holder 11 so thatthe bottom end 16 of member 13 projects somewhat below the bottom end 17of holder 11.

A writing nib or tip 18 is movably mounted in the lower end portion ofmember 13. Tip 1'8 is generally cylindrical with hemispherical ends 19.Tip 18 is mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and also forlimited angular movement about an axis coincident with the longitudinalaxis of member 13. To this end, the lower portion 20 of member 13 isformed with a generally rectangular opening 21 which is defined at itsopposite ends by grooves 22 of arcuate section for receiving thehemispherical ends 19 of tip 18..

The grooves 22 which act as bearings for the opposite ends of tip 1 8terminate at their opposite ends at the side edges 23 of opening 21. Asindicated in FIG. 2, grooves 22 are of a configuration and dispositionto locate the longitudinal axis of tip 18 as at XX, at a horizontallevel slightly above the bottom end 16 of member 13, thus retaining tip18 in place while the same is free to rotate about axis XX and further,to have angular displacement as indicated in FIG. 4.

It is understood that barrel member 13 is non-turnable in holder 11, andholder 11 may be held in the hand of the writer in various positions tovary the thickness of the line formed by tip 18 as the same is suppliedwith ink 14 over the surface portion indicated between lines A, B. Thus,with device 10 held in a position to make axis XX of tip 18 coincidentwith the direction of movement of said device, then the line formed willbe of minimum thickness.

If device 10 is turned in the writers hand to locate axis XX of tip 1 8at an angle to the direction of movement of said device, then the lineinscribed will vary in thickness accordingly. The line so inscribed willhave maximum thickness when the axis XX of tip 18 is at right angles tothe direction of movement of device, such thickness being measured bythe distance between lines A, B. When tip 18 is angularly related to thedirection of movement of device 10, tip 18 will rotate about its axis XXto allow feed of ink 14 through channel 15, thereto.

When device is held to form a line of minimum thickness, tip 18 willstill have limited angular movement in grooves 22, allowing for arotational component thereof to permit feed of ink to the tip. Theminim-a1 thickness of such an inscribed line is indicated at W in FIG.4. The grooved portion 20 of member 13 may be formed by a swaging orother suitable metal working operation to provide the inwardly turnedportions of grooves 22 whereby to hold tip 18 therein while allowing thesame to rotate and to have angular deviation as Well.

It will be apparent that the device 10 may be held in a manner toproduce inscribed lines of varying thickness and further, when held in aposition to produce lines of minimal thickness, the tip 18 is adapted toorient itself in bearing grooves 22 with a rotational component of thetranslating force which moves the device 10 as a whole.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the inventionherein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it isunderstood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemedillustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A writing instrument comprising a tubular ink containing memberhaving elongated opening at one end thereof, a cylindrical writing tipmovably mounted in the open end of said member, the opposite end wallportions of said member at the opening thereof being formed with bearinggrooves to receive the opposite ends of said tip therein, each of saidbearing grooves being elongated and having an extent between theopposite ends thereof substantially greater than the diameter of thebearing ends of said cylindrical tip to allow angular movement of saidtip, in displacement of its longitudinal axis, relative to thelongitudinal axis of said opening while permitting rotational movementthereof.

2. A writing instrument as in claim 1 wherein the opposite ends of saidtip are of hemispherical shape and said bearing grooves are of arcuatesection to receive the hemispherical end portions of the tip therein.

3. A Writing instrument comprising a barrel with an elongated opening atone end thereof, ink feeding means in said barrel communicating withsaid opening, a cylindrical nib having a cylindrical writing surface,elongated bearing means at the opposite ends of said opening forreceiving the opposite ends of said nib, said opening having a width atthe opposite ends thereof greater than the diameter of said nib and eachof said bearing means having an extent between the opposite ends thereofsubstantially greater than the diameter of the bearing ends ofReferences Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS GreatBritain Oct. 29, 1951 France Nov. 21, 1951

1. A WRITING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A TUBULAR INK CONTAINING MEMBERHAVING ELONGATED OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF, A CYLINDRICAL WRITING TIPMOVABLY MOUNTED IN THE OPEN END OF SAID MEMBER, THE OPPOSITE END WALLPORTIONS OF SAID MEMBER AT THE OPENING THEREOF BEING FORMED WITH BEARINGGROOVES TO RECEIVE THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TIP THEREIN, EACH OF SAIDBEARING GROOVES BEING ELONGATED AND HAVING AN EXTENT BETWEEN THEOPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THEBEARING ENDS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TIP TO ALLOW ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF SAIDTIP, IN DISPLACEMENT OF ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, RELATIVE TO THELONGITUDIANL AXIS OF SAID OPENING WHILE PERMITTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENTTHEREOF.